Return
by Beth Arritt
Summary: John contemplates leaving the Atlanta PD and returning to the VCTF.


As always, all characters belong to CS, S/MP, NBC and the incredible cast and crew of Profiler. I'm just borrowing, I promise not to hurt them or make any money off of them, but comments to [betha@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu][1] are welcome.  


* * *

**Return**  
by Beth Arritt  
_Copyright 1997_

"Sam Waters."

"Hey, Sam, how's it goin'?" 

Sam smiled. "Hi, John." She held the phone against her ear with her shoulder and closed the file she had been reading, shoving it half way across the desk. "It's going about as well as you might expect."

"Oh, no, please tell me you at least managed to make sure everybody got paid." She could hear the teasing tone in his voice as well as if he had been sitting next to her.

"I'm not doing that bad. I did want to ask you a question, though, you being the closest thing I have to a bureaucracy expert." She searched her desk for a memo. "As soon as I find the--here it is. What is a 3580 and how bad would it be if I didn't turn one in for last month?"

John sighed. "You didn't turn in the 3580?"

"That's bad, isn't it?" She threw the memo down in disgust. "I'm an intelligent, organized person, you'd think I would be able to handle a little paperwork."

"SAC's have more than a little paperwork. And you weren't groomed to be a bureaucratic paper pusher." He paused a moment. "Listen, I have some time this afternoon, do you want me to come down there and lend you a hand with the paperwork? If you don't think it will get you in trouble, that is."

"Would you? *Please*?"

"If you're sure it won't cause problems."

"There's nothing classified in here." She smiled. "I know--I'll shut the blinds and if anyone asks I'll tell them we were having a 'private meeting' and let them draw their own conclusions."

John laughed. "I'd like to hear some of those. I'll be there in about half an hour."

"Sounds good." 

* * *

Half an hour later Sam heard John coming down the hall having a rather loud conversation with Nathan. She stopped hunching over the papers on her desk and sat back in her chair as John came in alone. 

"I thought I heard Nathan with you."

"Yeah, we were just catching up. I haven't talked to him in a few days." 

Sam noticed a wistful tone in his voice. "You could change that, you know. You could come back."

He sat down in the chair opposite Sam, not looking directly at her. "Yeah, well, I don't know about that."

"Why? Bailey would take you back in a second."

"I doubt that." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm not sure he'd take me back at all. A lot of things were said before I left."

"I know. Bailey told me."

"Everything?"

Sam nodded. "He also admitted he'd acted 'like an ass'." 

John finally looked at her. "Bailey said that?"

"His exact words." She leaned forward on her desk. "Any conversation with Frances as the subject tends to make him a little... edgy."

"I noticed." He paused for a moment. "Have they found her?"

"Not yet. It's been three weeks, there aren't any leads to follow, so they have to wait for some kind of response from the pictures they've sent out."

"Can't you give them some kind of idea where she might have been gone?"

"I'm the one who told Bailey she was just testing the boundaries with her actions. I'm obviously the last one who could give any insight into her character."

"I hope they find her."

She watched him for a moment. "You really care about her, don't you?"

John shrugged. "She's a smart kid and she came to me for help. I couldn't help her and she blamed me. I know," he said quickly when Sam would have interrupted, "it's not my fault, despite what she thinks. But I've seen what happens to girls like that out on the streets, and I don't want to see that happen to her. And I sure as hell don't want to get to a homicide scene one day and find her lying there."

They sat in silence for a minute. "So, how's Bailey?" he asked finally.

"Okay, considering. They're planning to release him in a couple of days, but he still has a month or so before he's fit to come back to work. You haven't seen him?"

"Not since the day he was shot." John stared at his hands. "I wasn't sure if he'd want to see me."

"You should go see him. I imagine he has some things he'd like to say to you."

"Bailey knows where to find me," he said stubbornly.

"He can't exactly get up and go to your house. And it's not the kind of conversation you want to have on the phone." John just sat there in silence. "Go see him. What do you have to lose?"

He took a deep breath. "Okay. But first," he added as he drug the chair around behind the desk to sit beside Sam, "we have some paperwork to clear up."

* * *

John hovered just out of sight beside Bailey's hospital room. For the hundredth time he reconsidered the visit. But Sam was so sure, and he trusted her instincts. And he wanted his VCTF job back. If there was a chance...

He squared his shoulders, walked up to the door and knocked. 

Bailey looked up at the door. "John." His surprise was evident in his voice.

*So Sam didn't call and warn him.* He'd half expected her to do that. Her obvious confidence in her assessment of Bailey's feelings made him feel better about his chances.

"How are you feeling?" John asked, as he walked in and sat down next to the bed.

"Much better. They say I can even go home in a day or two.

"That's good." He looked around the room, not sure what to say next.

"So why haven't you been by here before now?"

The blunt question surprised him. "Oh, you know, work, the usual," he stalled, but after a look from Bailey, he admitted the truth. "I wasn't sure I'd be a welcome visitor."

"You saved my life, and then you question if I'd want to see you?"

"Our last conversation was... well..."

"You mean I acted like a jerk."

"I didn't say that."

"No, I did." Bailey sighed. "I know you would never discuss classified information with outsiders, any more than you would talk about me or my problems behind my back." He looked John in the eye. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about what I said."

"Yeah, well, I think maybe I overreacted a little." *There's the understatement of the year, Grant.* "Quitting was pretty extreme."

Bailey studied him for a moment. "Then come back."

John took a deep breath. "I thought Coop had taken my place," he said slowly.

"Coop was on loan from the ATF temporarily. But he's somewhere in the Middle East now."

John raised his eyebrows. "Coop left town?"

"Coop left the country. It's a two year assignment."

Sam hadn't mentioned Coop's departure in any of their conversations. "What does Sam think about that?"

Bailey attempted a half shrug, then winced at the pain. "Sam's not confiding in anyone these days." He chose his words carefully. "I got the feeling she wasn't exactly devastated." He gave John a moment to think about that information. "Look, you don't have to answer now, but if you want to come back..."

"I'd like that." The corners of his mouth turned up a little. "I'd like it a lot."

"Then as far as I'm concerned, consider it effective immediately. Welcome back." He extended his hand, which John shook gently. "Sam has authority to start the paperwork, if one of you will bring it by I'll sign it." John started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. You just reminded me of something I have to do." He rose from the chair. "Bailey... thank you."

Bailey nodded. "I expect regular reports while I'm recuperating, you know." John just smiled and left.

* * *

Sam was putting the last file away when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up in time to see John walk in and cross the room to stand in front of her desk. "Hey," she said, giving him a tired smile.

He looked at her neat desk. "Finished already?"

"It wasn't that bad once you went through them with me. I don't know what it is about forms, I lose all ability to think when you put one in front of me. But I think I can handle it until Bailey gets back."

"Well, I have one more form that you need to learn." He laughed at the look of horror that crossed her face. "No, I think you'll like this one," he promised, as he held out the form to her.

She read it, then looked at him. "And what name goes under 'Employee Reinstating'?"

"You can write John Grant in that one." 

Sam rewarded him with a big smile. "I take it your conversation with Bailey went well?" 

He nodded. "He's expecting that paperwork at the hospital tomorrow for his signature."

"Guess I'd better get started." She glanced at the form, then back at him. "I don't suppose you have a few minutes to help..."

With an exaggerated sigh, he walked around the desk to stand next to her. "I suppose. On one condition - have dinner with me to celebrate?"

"Deal."

"Great, then let's get to work."

* * *

   [1]: mailto:betha@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu



End file.
